Dagenham

Essex

10^th March 1963

Dear Lena,

I know it isn’t my turn to write but I’m sure you wont mind an extra letter?

Last week I bought the fabric for my wedding dress and the bridesmaids’ dresses.  My friend’s mother is a dressmaker and she is going to make them for me.  They were both with me when I bought the fabric so I was sure of getting the right kind.  I have got plain white satin for my dress and four different colours for the bridesmaids.  I will send you a piece of each so you can see the colours.  Lilac and pale green will stand together and so will the pale blue and yellow.  I had a difficult job (but I enjoyed it) matching the colours so one didn’t stand out more than another.  The ones I have chosen look so well together, better than I had hoped.  I have asked my oldest friend from school to be a bridesmaid with my friend from work and of course my sister and Alan’s youngest sister.

Last Monday I had a day off from work and Mum and I went shopping.  I bought my headdress which is made up of strings of pearls plaited into a band about 2inches high.  I bought my shoes, plain white court shoes with a pointed toe.

Mum bought her outfit.  A dress and jacket in a bronze colour (it really suits her well) fawn bag, shoes and gloves and a hat that is mostly fawn but has a dark brown band on it.

I also bought my ‘going away’ outfit.  Not that we are going anywhere, only straight to our house.  The girls at work call it my ‘walking out of the hall’ suit.  I have a pale blue dress with a light-weight coat – what we call a ‘duster coat’.  A pale blue hat that looks like it is made of petals.  Navy blue shoes, bag and gloves.

When we arrived back home we were ready to sleep for a week.  We had been walking for six hours and been to three different towns.  I had a marvelous day. After saving for so long I had forgotten what it was like to spend so much money at once.

Maureen

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